1 Samuel: Chapter 15
>The chapter chronicles the further fall of Saul and his final rejection by the LORD.
Chapter Recap
Samuel comes to Saul with an important mission from the LORD, to punish the Amalekites for their past sins. Saul fails to carry out this mission, letting his covetousness get the better of him, sparing Agag, the King of Amalekites and taking good commodities for himself rather than destroying them as commanded. The LORD grieves for making Saul king. Samuel weeps and pleads for the sake of Saul. The next day, Saul is happy setting up a monument in his honor, and denies disobeying the LORD. Subsequently, Saul is rejected as King. Saul, unconcerned about the LORD’s displeasure, tries to save his image in front of the people. Samuel sees through him and carries out the command of the LORD by putting King Agag to death. Everyone goes their separate ways. Saul is without remorse. And Samuel mourns for him.
The Righteous LORD
It might seem odd, as to why the LORD condemns the Amalekites. However, a quick look at the preceding books clears this up. The Amalekites had unjustly attacked the Israelites when they were on their way to Canaan. They attacked from the rear and took out the tired and weary. This provoked the LORD, and the judgment against them was proclaimed right then and there. (See Exodus 17:8-16, Deuteronomy 25:17-19). Nevertheless, they had been spared till they filled up the measure of their sins.
The LORD, along the same lines, remembered the kindness of the ancestors of the Kenites and ensured their safety whilst the judgment over the Amalekites was carried out. The righteousness of the LORD does no injustice to any, and it is up to us to be cautious not to be found in the company of the wicked, lest we share in their sins, plagues and condemnation.
The Rebellious King
Saul had a change of heart, but not for the better. Despite having explicit instructions he chose to act as he saw fit, like a proud rebellious spirit. He destroyed only which were despised and weak, and kept the best for himself. He further spared the King of Amalekites, Agag. Repentance is not only a change of heart, but also a change of method. However in the case of Saul, the change was that he stopped following the LORD and made himself an enemy of the LORD. Even when confronted by Samuel, Saul boasts his obedience to the command of God; despite his actions loudly proclaiming his love for the world and indulgence of the flesh. He was so far gone that he failed to see that he was in fact disobeying the LORD.
So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.” I Samuel 15:22,23
The LORD, through Samuel, showed what was expected; humble, sincere, wholehearted and conscientious obedience to the will of God, is more pleasing and acceptable to him than all burnt-offering and sacrifices. Saul in his hypocrisy thought that he could get away with his indulgences, and through a few extra sacrifices. But the LORD made it clear that His Name is more glorified, by obedience than by sacrifice. It is quite easy to offer sacrifices, but to bring every thought into obedience to the LORD and subjecting to His will is much harder. Naturally, the ones unwilling to humble themselves and let God rule over them, are unworthy and unfit to rule over men.
One might think that after such a revelation, including being pointed out the exact nature of his failures, Saul would have humbled himself and turned a new leaf with his every whim to please the LORD who made him king. But unfortunately, we just see hypocritical repentance. Saul only sought after Samuel, he was anxious that Samuel would desert him and his image in front of the people would be ruined. All Saul cared about was himself and his credit. This just reinforced his judgment.
So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent.” I Samuel 15:28,29
The Refereeing Prophet
Samuel was always a person whom the LORD can count on. He fulfilled his role as a judge perfectly, and retired honorably. Even after his retirement, he lived a life of closeness with the LORD, and he was still a prophet employed to bring the LORD’s message to Saul. It is through Samuel we learn about the LORD’s workings, and he remains a good example for us to follow.
After Saul’s failure, the LORD grieved to Samuel, who in turn spent a whole night pleading for Saul. We see that the rejection of sinners is the grief of believers and God does not delight in their death, so, neither should we. Samuel then bravely confronted Saul, the King of Israel, and pointed out his mistakes in an effort to bring him back to the LORD. Alas, Saul was not one to listen, disobedience and covetousness prevented any rationale. Samuel further recognized the hypocrisy in Saul’s “repentance”, and boldly stated the message from the LORD.
Samuel’s role didn’t end there. He called Agag to account for his own sins and carried out the command which Saul failed. After everything, Saul was unconcerned that he laid under God's displeasure, yet Samuel mourned day and night for him, despite never seeing him again. Such is the quality of a godly man. Compassion for the fallen, courage and boldness to speak the truth of the LORD, a true mediator to do the will of the LORD and a referee to state the law of the LORD. A godly man who, being empathetic, filled with love and kindness, wept for a lost soul. Such is the quality of Samuel, who understood the LORD, and lived to fulfill his will.
Our takeaway here is this. The LORD is righteous and there is no unjust in him. It is up to us to listen and fulfill the will of the LORD. Do we desire to do the whole will of God? If so, let's turn to him, not in form and appearance, but with sincerity. See you in the next one! Take care of yourself and each other!
Comments
Post a Comment